News in Honiton

It is the issue which has ignited public fury in Honiton; a series of disputes stretching back almost eight years, which has left locals in despair with the town council.

Now there are calls for every councillor to resign and seek re-election.

To help you make the most of the weekend here is Honiton Nub News' Weekend Weather Forecast.

After last weekend's visit from Storm Dennis we can say with confidence the weather this weekend will be an improvement.

Tax-payers in Honiton will soon see an increase in their council tax bill as the county council plans to spend more money on vulnerable children, social care and roads.

The budget, approved at Devon County Hall yesterday (February 20), will see more than £43 million extra pumped into vital services with an additional £23.7 million for adult care and health, £11.5 million more for children's services and £2 million more to help deal with drainage issues on the road network.

Welcome to this week's planning briefing from Honiton Nub News. Every week your Nub News team will put together a report on the planning applications, big and small, submitted to the area's planning authority, East Devon District Council, from the Honiton area.

The applications featured in this report have been verified by EDDC but decisions on the applications have not yet been made.

The relationship between man, the natural world and its future will be explored in a unique new exhibition in Honiton from internationally acclaimed British artist Richard Long.

Spanning 40 years (1966 – 2006) of Long's artistic practice, starting with his early experiments near his home town of Bristol, there will be 21 works on show, presenting the full breadth of Long's practice, including photography, sculpture, text, material, drawings, maps and diagrams.

Fountains Antiques Centre on Honiton High Street is a two-storey building filled to the brim with artefacts from a by-gone era.

The shop is co-owned by Caroline Bushell, Brian Hunt and Paul Henshaw.

Allhallows Museum in Honiton houses some impressive collections reflecting the town's interesting history. This includes Honiton lace and pottery displays, which are some of the most comprehensive in the world.

It is run by hardworking and dedicated volunteers, including Museum Curator Margaret Lewis B.E.M, who showed us around.

Mental health services for adults in Devon have been rated as 'good' overall, but inspectors found some staff were 'stressed, exhausted and burnt out' due to the pressures of the Covid pandemic.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published its inspection report on services provided by the Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

'A friendly walk and a chat' is on offer to Honiton residents, in an initiative to combat loneliness and boost mental wellbeing.

The mental health team at the Honiton Surgery have been organising fortnightly 'Walking into Wellbeing' events since March, and now they want to spread the word.

Just over a week ago, Honiton's Jake Bonetta became the first Labour candidate elected to East Devon District Council for 20 years, after winning the by-election for the St Michael's seat with an impressive 807 votes. It's being seen as a landmark victory for the local Labour party – but Jake is adamant that his priority is to serve everyone in the community, regardless of their political leanings.

And he said he's looking forward to making the most of his position on the district council to benefit the Honiton community.